1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly to a novel wintertime device for gliding over smooth or rough ice and snow-patched ice.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventionally, wintertime recreational or exercise devices for use on ice have included ice skates, such as the speed skates described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 475,926, 539,641 and 568,547, and the recreational devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,013,154 and 3,879,047.
The ice skates described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 475,926, 539,641 and 568,547 are used for racing on good quality ice. They are manufactured with longer than usual skate blades or runners, the longest of which do not appear to exceed twenty inches as described in U.S. Pat. No. 568,547.
The recreational device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,047, issued to John MacDonald, on Apr. 22, 1975, has an elongated body which generally defines an elliptical plinth which approximately conforms to the dimensions of the user's foot. The body comprises a substantially flat upper surface which supports the foot of the user and a lower ice contacting surface which is configured for rocking the body about its longitudinal axis and about an axis perpendicular to its longitudinal axis for control of the ski. This type of ski is to be used on a sloping ice surface or on a flat ice surface where the participant is towed.
Another recreational device which may be used either on ice or snow is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,013,154, issued to L. W. Greenig on Jan. 2, 1912. As with the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,047, this device is to be used on an ice covered incline. It includes a foot piece for supporting a user's foot, a runner with the end curved upward and a vertical rod fitted within the runner in order to enable the device to be used by persons of different heights without unnecessary stooping.
Another conventional wintertime activity is cross-country skiing. A participant of this activity depends upon his/her own stride and pole thrusts to move across the snow and on the snow conditions. The skier needs sufficient snow in order to be supported on the snow and the snow needs to be of a good quality, e.g. not too rough or icy. A layer of ice over snow could prove hazardous for the cross-country skier. The icy conditions could cause the skier to lose control and balance as the skier attempts to ski across the surface.
Most, if not all, of the above recreational devices do not work well on rough ice or snow-patched ice. (As used herein, snow-patched ice means patches of snow on an iced over lake. Snow-patched ice typically presents a non-uniform surface.) Applicant is not aware of a recreational device which may be used on uneven or rough ice, such as the ice typically found on frozen lakes in the wintertime. Therefore, a device which can be used on either smooth or rough ice or snow-patched ice offers significant advantages and commercial prospects. This invention in essence provides a new type of wintertime exercise activity.